JEAN GLIBERT PEINTRE
16 March - 10 May 2025

Painting is justified only by its integration with life. It is no longer a question of personal delight, but of collective joy. There is no such thing as painting seen only by a restricted public. Painting is neither the emanation of an individual nor the privilege of a social class: painting is a collective good. So, painting will be where our life is, where it can be experienced by the greatest number: architecture, in short. It will be part of the moment. (Jean Glibert, 1971)

 Rossicontemporary is pleased to present an exhibition on the work of Belgian painter Jean Glibert (Brussels, 1938-2024), a key figure of urban space interventions of the past decades. Glibert’s radical works rely on his innovative use of color and its integration with architecture. For him, color is circulation, sign, passage - as an essential element of the artwork, it is autonomous, yet functional to the architectural project.
The exhibition brings together a selection of paintings from his studio, dating from the 1970s to 2023. Anticipating, predicting and setting the bases for the large-scale interventions to come, the older works show Jean Glibert’s constant investigation of color in relation to construction materials. This is evident in his paintings on agglomerate (Pose de 10 couleurs avec primaire sur support, 1972), laminated agglomerate (Circulations, 1969-1973), rubber (Organisation de cinq couleurs, 1970) and on roofing (Relief peinture, 1971). His later series on paper, Drapeaux (1992), Epures (1994-1997) and Rails (2023), show that Jean Glibert is continuing his research into spatial construction using color, geometry, tension, contrast, rhythm and modules with multiple variations.. He writes: “What this geometry does to color is a means of architecting space and catalyzing its potential”.
The exhibition also offers an insight into an array of studies dating from 1961 to the 90s. They are drawings on paper from the artist’s notebooks, but also, fabric embroideries and woven paper strands. They offer an intimate glimpse into the genesis of Glibert’s work, revealing his creative process and the conceptual development behind his major projects.
Visitors can also view silkscreen editions dating from different chapters of Glibert’s artistic practice. A wide range of publications conceived by the artist during his life will be available. Finally, the catalogue “Jean Glibert peintre”, published by Rossicontemporary in a limited edition of 100, gathers professional reproductions of the exhibited works and quotes from the artist’s manifestos and texts.

Deciphering a landscape, reconciling visual scales of all kinds, analyzing the aura of an illuminated sign, distinguishing between the colors of materials and the colors of surfaces (Wittgenstein), studying the chromatic repertoires of technical and scientific disciplines, observing that flags are painted on boats according to the direction of travel, attaching a single bright color to a truck's bottom on the freeway or applying rustproofing without following the rules of the art - these are also ways of learning about color. (Jean Glibert, 1997)

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JEAN GLIBERT (Bruxelles, 1938-2024).

Etudes à l’ENSAV, La Cambre, Atelier de peinture monumentale.
Prix Jeune Sculpture Belge, 1973
Membre de l’Académie Royale de Belgique.

Selected large scale urban interventions: 2022 Entreprise Moury ,Liège 2018 Masereel Centrum, Kasterlee 2016 Ring, Charleroi, 2015 Centre Keramis, La Louvière 2014 BAM, Mons 2013 Amphithéâtres Opéra, ULG, Liège 2012 Depôt oeuvres d’art, FWB, Mons 2010 Parking Patenier, Dinant 2006 Centre interdiocésain Maisin, Bruxelles; Immeuble Belmont Court, Bruxelles 2005 Hôtel de Ligne, Parlement de la Communauté Française, Bruxelles; Poste électrique, rue Pouplin, Liège 2004 Collège Saint Benoît - Saint-Servais, Liège 2003 Hall multifonctionnel et dépôt des Archives de l’Etat, Mons 2002 Pont du Midi, Bruxelles 1993/1997/2009 Immeubles SRIB, Bruxelles 1985 Maternité Princesse Astrid, Charleroi 1982 Station Métro Bockstael, Laeken 1981 Middelheim, Anvers 1975-1995 Station Métro Mérode, Etterbeek

Selected exhibitions: 2025 Jean Glibert peintre, Rossicontemporary, Bruxelles 2021 Série 2019-2021, Musée Keramis, La Louvière 2018 Albedo, (with Ann Véronica Janssens), Mac’s, Grand Hornu 2017 Jean Glibert, Peintre en Bâtiment, BOZAR, Bruxelles 2015 Peintures, Galerie Détour, Jambes 2014 Peintures, Espace Nord 251, Liège 2013 Abstraction-Matière et Contingences, Galerie Blanche, Briey-en-Forêt 2011 Peindre, Galerie Aliceday, Bruxelles 1997 Tables d’espace-Epures, Musée d’Ixelles, Bruxelles 1974 Galerie de Varenne, Paris 1974 Galerie Jacques Damase, Bruxelles 1973 5 sculpteurs, 5 matières, Musée d’Ixelles, Bruxelles 1971 85 Panneaux - Circulations, Parking Rue d’Italie, Ixelles

Bibliography: Jean Glibert Peintre, Rossicontemporary, Brussels, 2025 ; Jean Glibert, Peintre en bâtiment, cat. exh. Bozar, Brussels, 2017; Raymond Balau, Jean Glibert, Cellule Architecture-Federation Wallonie, Brussels, 2017 ; Jean Glibert, Travaux récents, Parlement de la Communauté française, 2004 ; Jean Glibert, Conversation avec Raymond Balau, Editions Tandem, Gerpinnes, 1997 ; 5 matières. 5 sculpteurs, cat. exh. Musée d’Ixelles, Brussels, 1973; Jean Glibert, poster/manifesto for the exhibition at Parking 32, Avenue d’Italie, Ixelles, 1971